Chapter 99. The Press Conference and the Return of the Far Outside Gate
After cheerfully paying the 50,000-yen fine, Shuta arrived at the press conference alone.
"Good afternoon, everyone."
His smile was dazzlingly bright, standing in sharp contrast to the gloomy expressions filling the room.
No one had expected Tokai Teio to be absent.
For the past two days, countless reporters had been preparing questions specifically for her. But asking those same questions to a veteran like Trainer Shuta—someone who handled the press with effortless composure—would never produce the explosive headlines they wanted.
"Excuse me, why isn't Miss Tokai Teio attending today?" one reporter asked before anyone else could even raise a hand.
"I asked the URA Association whether participating Uma Musume could be excused,"
Trainer Shuta replied, folding his arms.
"They said no, but informed me there would simply be a fine for non-compliance."
He smiled casually.
"So I paid the fine."
Silence swept through the room.
The more experienced reporters knew that Trainer Shuta was likely the wealthiest Trainer at Central Tracen Academy, but even they hadn't expected him to dismiss the penalty so casually.
"May I ask—how much was the fine?" a reporter from Twinkle magazine asked.
"Not much. Fifty thousand yen."
Trainer Shuta raised an open hand as though presenting a bargain.
"A very reasonable price. If the URA Association insists on holding these press conferences before every major race, I'm perfectly willing to pay fifty thousand yen every single time."
For reporters earning roughly 8.2 million yen a year, fifty thousand was hardly pocket change.
Even Trainers at Central Tracen Academy averaged only around 10 million yen annually from Twinkle Series-related income.
By any reasonable common people standard, the fine should have been painful.
Yet judging from Trainer Shuta's expression, it wasn't worth mentioning.
"Sadalsuud keeps winning major races. Their prize money alone is enormous. Add endorsement revenue from the team's Uma Musume—"
The reporters exchanged helpless looks.
For him, fifty thousand yen really is nothing.
More importantly, they realized something else.
As long as Trainer Shuta wished it, directly interviewing the Sadalsuud team's Uma Musume before major races would be nearly impossible.
Once the room finally quieted down, Trainer Shuta lightly tapped the microphone.
"Shall we begin the pre-race interview?"
He smiled.
"That's why we're all here, isn't it?"
Several reporters sighed inwardly.
Honestly—we'd rather be interviewing Tokai Teio.
Still, the Twinkle magazine reporter dutifully raised her hand.
"May I ask about Tokai Teio's preparation for the Kikuka Sho?"
"Excellent."
Trainer Shuta nodded.
"She's in outstanding condition. During this period, I arranged specialized training specifically for the Kikuka Sho, which is why she hasn't been staying at Central Tracen Academy. I would say the results have exceeded expectations."
"What exactly did that special training involve?"
"That's confidential."
Trainer Shuta shook his head without hesitation.
"Next question."
"Then... what is your goal for this race?"
The young reporter asked almost reflexively, only realizing how foolish the question sounded after the words had already left her mouth.
"To win, of course."
Trainer Shuta looked at her as though the answer should have been obvious.
"We're one race away from completing an undefeated Triple Crown."
He shrugged.
"Why would we aim for anything else?"
Laughter rippled through the venue.
The reporter's face flushed crimson as she lowered her head in embarrassment.
"Next."
Trainer Shuta tapped the tabletop lightly.
"Has your race strategy been finalized?"
"Not yet."
"The draw won't be announced until this afternoon. Right now we only have a general framework. The actual strategy depends entirely on the gate assignment."
At the mention of gate positions, the atmosphere immediately shifted.
Everyone straightened in their seats.
"In both the Satsuki Sho and the Japanese Derby, Tokai Teio drew the outermost gate. For the Kikuka Sho, what gate position are you hoping for?"
Trainer Shuta held the microphone for a moment before the corner of his mouth curled into a faintly sarcastic smile.
"It has already happened twice."
He spread his hands.
"So if the URA Association wants to give Teio the outermost gate for a third time—"
"I welcome it."
—
Inside the URA Association offices, several officials immediately looked up from the live broadcast.
"Grant his wish."
"You can't say that," the Association President quickly interrupted.
"We have absolutely no influence over the draw."
Of course, that was merely the official position.
Whether anyone truly believed it was another matter entirely.
—
After the press conference ended, Minamisaka arrived to take the stage.
The two Trainers exchanged a casual high-five outside the venue beforeShuta headed back toward the Sadalsuud activity room, intending to wait there for the afternoon draw.
"I said that on purpose."
Walking along the academy path, he smiled to himself.
"If Teio gets the outermost gate again, the media will have a field day with it."
Still—
"Please let her draw somewhere in the middle this time."
He let out a quiet sigh.
"Another outside gate would be a genuine headache."
—
Meanwhile, Tokai Teio was chatting happily with her classmates when someone asked which gate position she wanted.
"Any gate is fine!"
She pumped a confident fist into the air.
"I'm going to win no matter where I start. And I'm going to win beautifully!"
—
At precisely one o'clock that afternoon, the URA Association's email arrived in Trainer Shuta's inbox.
He opened it almost automatically.
His eyes scanned down the entry list until they reached the final line.
Tokai Teio — Gate 18.
...
His fists tightened.
Then loosened.
Then tightened again.
Only after repeating the motion several times did he suppress the overwhelming urge to punch the computer monitor.
"What the f**k is this?"
He dragged a hand through his hair.
"The outermost gate."
"Again."
"Even in 3000m distance."
He stared blankly at the screen.
"URA Association—you're seriously telling me this was a computer lottery?"
Taking a slow breath, he slapped both cheeks.
"Complaining won't change anything."
His voice steadied almost immediately.
"The important thing now is figuring out how to minimize the disadvantage."
Strictly speaking, the longer 3000-meter distance reduced much of the handicap associated with Gate 18.
Even so, Tokai Teio's stamina over that distance remained his greatest concern.
Starting from the extreme outside also meant covering extra ground compared to her rivals.
"We can't afford to waste stamina making an aggressive move halfway through the race."
He folded his arms.
"If we commit to the front, then we commit from the break. If we stay back, then we stay back."
His gaze remained fixed on the race chart.
"So—"
"Do we lead..."
"...or do we wait?"
The question lingered in his mind.
On the scales before him, both answers seemed equally difficult to choose.